Drinking fountain attachment



United States Patent h 7 3,335,957 DRINKING FOUNTAIN ATTACHMENT Clyde A. Jacobson, 5752 Hillside Drive, Murray, Utah 84107 Filed Aug. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 478,387 12 Claims. (Cl. 23925) This invention comprises a fluid control valve having an axially-movable valve gate. The said valve gate is so constructed and arranged that the same permits continuous passage through the valve gate of a principal liquid flow and, upon selective movement of the valve gate, a selected intercommunication between the liquid source andan auxiliary passageway.

The present invention relates to valve structures and, more particularly, to a new and improved valve attachment which is ideally suited for attachment to water faucets, for example, for allowing a continuous, direct flow of fluid therethrough, so long as the faucet is turned on, and yet provide an auxiliary control for supplying a portion of such fluid to another circuit or circuit element such as a drinking fountain, for example.

1 Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved valving mechanism for attachment to fluid sources such as water faucets, for example.

A further object is to provide a valve mechanism for water faucets, for example, wherein the same allows conduction of fluid through the device at all times the faucet is on and, in addition, permits the'selective shunting of a portion of such fluid through an auxiliary circuit such as a water fountain, for drinking purposes.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a valving means which is continuously conducted in one branch and selectively conducted along another branch, and this preferably with the inclusion of certain sealing means so that the secondary branch can be satisfactorily supplied with fluid shunted through the passageway associated therewith.

An additional object is to provide a combination valve body and valve gate mechanism wherein the opening and closing of the valve, by withdrawing and advancing the valve gate relative to the valve body, can be accomplished so as to provide continuous regular communication through the valve structure in one circuit and yet selective supply of fluid to a remaining or shunting circuit, for drinking purposes, for example.

An additional object is to provide an improved valving structure as an attachment to water faucets wherein the same can be manually actuated from the exterior in a very positive and yet highly satisfactory manner.

An additional object is to provide a new and improved type of fountain head for drinking purposes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved drinking fountain attachment.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a drinking fountain attachment, designed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and is attached to a conventional faucet.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the drinking fountain attachment shown in FIGURE 1 with the valve in closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section of valve gate as shown in FIGURE 2, except that tubular insert is included in the passageway thereof.

3,335,957 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 "ice FIGURE 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a drinking fountain attachment partially broken away for clarity, showing the valve in open position. i

In FIGURES 1 and 2 faucet 10 is connected to tap end fitting 11 by threaded portion 12. A gasket 13 is placed between the faucet 10 and the tap end fitting 11 to insure a tight seal. Flange 14 is designed to connect the lower threaded portion 15 of the tap end fitting 11 to the upper lip portion 16 of valve body 17. This upper lip portion 16 interlocks with the protuberant portion 18 of flange 14. A gasket 19 is placed between valve body 17 and tap end fitting 11. Valve body 17 is pressed into fountain member 20, suggested material for the two being metal and plastic, respectively. Threadedly secured within the valve body 17 is a valve gate 21. The upper beveled surface 22 of the valve gate 21 is held against valve seat 23 when the valve is in closed position as shown in FIGURE 2. Valve gate 21 also includes central passageways 24 and 25 leading into end fitting 26. The conventional end fitting 26 is threaded in order to fit lower threaded portion 27 of valve gate 21. The end fitting 26 is of conventional design, including casing 28 and filter assembly 29 which filters the water or other fluid as it passes through filter screen 30 after being dispersed by mutually-spaced radial holes 31 and 32 of insert 33. Holes 31 and 32 are only representative of the many holes included in the upper disc portion 34 of insert 33. Again, gasket 35 is provided for a tight seal in the end fitting 26.

A valve handle 36 is keyed to the valve gate 21 by passing' through radially threaded bore 37 of collar 38. The collar rests on shoulder 39 of valve gate 21. The valve body 17 has an opening 40 into which fits the upper end of passageway 24 of valve gate 21. Lateral passageway 41 is sealed off from the main flow of water, represented by arrow A,'by O-ring 42 as shown in FIGURE 2. O-ring 42' also prevents any fluid seepage through the threaded portion 23' of valve body 17.

When the valve gate 21 is withdrawn, as shown in FIG- URE 4, the lateral passageway 41 connects the valve body cavity 43 with the fountain passageway 44 of fountain member 20. Fountain member 20 has an upward protuberant portion 45 which a includes a cup-configured recess 46 and a threaded seat portion 47 connected with fountain passageway 44 and into which fountain head 48 is engaged. Fountain head 48 includes an internal, axial passageway 49 and radial apertures 50, 51 and 52; an additional aperture coaxial with aperture 51 is not shown in the sections. The radial apertures 50, 51, 52, etc., in combination with the cup-configured recess 46 and the curved terminal portion 54 of the fountain head 48, focus the water or fluid into a single stream as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention consisting of a tubular insert 43 which fits snugly into lower passageway 25 of the valve gate 21 and abuts against shoulder 57. This insert 43 restricts passageway 25, thereby increasing the flow through the lateral passageway 41.

Returning for a moment to the consideration of fountain member 20, it may be seen in FIGURE 2 that fountain head 48 is supplied with a seat 48 for the placing of an Allen wrench therein to adjust the height of fountain head 48in threaded seat portion 47.

The operation of the structure is as follows: With the valve attachment 55 connectedto the faucet 10 by means of threaded portion 12 of tap end fitting 11, water or other fluid will flow directly from the faucet into the center opening 56 of the tap end fitting 11. When the valve gate 21 is closed tightly against the valve seat 23,

.the fluid from opening 56 can only flow downwardly through passageways 24 and 25, being filtered and flowing out through conventional end fitting 26. In this way the valve attachment would function as a normal faucet outlet with a filtering and aerating device.

For shunting the water from the principal flow through the passageways 24 and 25 to an auxiliary flow through the fountain member 20, the valve gate 21 must be rotationally displaced from valve seat 23 by rotating valve handle 36 about the longitudinal axis of valve gate 21. This valve handle 36, being threaded into collar 38, is keyed to the valve gate 21 at point 58 so that valve gate 21, collar 38, and valve handle 36 move rotationally in correspondence. This action causes the disengagement of surface 22 with the valve seat 23, opening the seal produced by O-ring 42. O-ring 42 stays in contact with wall 17 as will be further explained later.

When the valve gate 21 is opened as shown in FIG- URE 4, then only a portion of the fluid flow continues downwardly through passageway 24, and the other portion flows from the cavity 43 into the lateral passageway 41 and into the fountain member 20. The amount of fluid flow into fountain member 20 is controlled by the amount of downward displacement of the valve gate 21: the fiow increases as the displacement increases. O-ring 42 provides a seal between the outer valve gate wall 21 and the inner wall 17' of valve body 17, thus preventing the passage of the fluid therebetween.

As the fluid flows into lateral passageway 41 it continues through fountain passageway 44 and up into the internal, axial passageway 49 of the fountain head 48. The fluid pressure forces the fluid up the axial passageway 49, out the four, mutually-spaced apertures 50, 51, 52, etc., into the cup-configured recess 46. The fluid is then focused above the fountain head in a manner suitable for drinking.

Collar 16 can be attached to an externally-threaded faucet and adapter 11 deleted, where circumstatnces so warrant.

It will be noted that the faucet water is filtered and aerated whereas a non-aerated fountain stream is available, and desirably so. Further, if desired, other types of watering attachments can be connected to the valve in place of standard aerator as shown.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made, without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A drinking fountain attachment for water faucets, said fountain attachment comprising, in combination, a valve body having an interior valve seat, said valve body including aperture means centrally of said valve seat; a valve gate threaded within the interior of said valve body and selectively engaging said valve seat; manually-accessible means secured to said valve gate for rotationally displacing the latter within said valve body, said valve gate including passageway means continually communicating with said aperture means of said valve body, said valve body including lateral passageway means communicating between said valve gate and said valve body when the former is withdrawn from said valve seat a predetermined degree; and fountain means secured to said valve body and having passageway means communicating with said lateral passageway means of said valve body.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said rotating means for rotationally displacing said valve gate comprises a collar accessibly disposed about said valve gate and a valve handle radially threaded through said collar and engaging said valve gate in a keying relationship.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said fountain means includes a terminal, cup-configured recess, and a fountain head centrally, disposed through said recess and threadedly engaging said fountain means so as to be in communication with said fountain passageway means.

4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said passageway means of said valve gate is provided with tubular insert means in combination therewith for the reduction of fluid flow through said passageway means to increase fluid pressure within the same.

5. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said fountain head includes a closed-ended fountain head passageway communicating with fountain passageway and radial apertures intercommunicating between said fountain passageway and said cup-configured recess.

6. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said fountain head includes a closed-ended fountain head passageway communicating with fountain passageway and mutually-spaced radial apertures intercommunicating between said fountain passageway and said cup-configured recess.

7. A drinking fountain attachment for water faucets, said fountain attachment comprising, in combination, a valve body having an interior valve seat, said valve body including aperture means centrally of said valve seat; a valve gate positioned within the interior of said valve body and selectively engaging said valve seat; manually accessible means secured to said valve gate for displacing the latter within said valve body toward and away from said valve seat, said valve gate including passageway means continually communicating with said aperture means of said valve body, said valve body including lateral passageway means communicating between said valve gate and said valve body when the former is withdrawn from said valve seat a predetermined degree; and fountain means secured to said valve body and having passageway means communicating with said lateral passageway means of said valve body.

8. In combination, a valve provided with a continuously open principal passageway and an auxiliary passageway selectively openable and closeable upon the axial movement of said valve; means for selectively opening and closing said valve; and shunting means afiixed to said valve and communicating with said auxiliary passageway for passing therethrough fluid from a source coupled to said valve when said valve is opened a minimum degree.

9. Structure according to claim 8 wherein said means is annularly configured, concentric with said principal passageway, and includes a radially, outwardly-extending, actuating handle.

10. In combination, a valve body having an interior valve seat, an accessible, rotatable valve gate threadedly disposed within said valve body and selectively, axially advanceable toward said valve seat, said valve body including a lateral passageway, and peripheral seal means disposed about said valve gate and engaging the interior of said valve body for providing a seal therebetween at a region remote from said valve seat.

11. Structure according to claim 10 wherein there is provided an additional seal means between said valve gate and valve body in the region of said valve seat.

12. In combination, a valve body having an interior valve seat, an accessible, rotatable valve gate movably disposed within said valve body and selectively advanceable toward said valve seat, said valve body including a lateral passageway, and peripheral seal means disposed about said valve gate and engaging the interior of said valve body for providing a seal therebetween at a region remote from said valve seat, and wherein said valve includes a through-passageway coaxially disposed through said valve gate and valve body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,079,088 2/ 1963 Hermann et al. 239-25 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

V, M, WIGMAN, Assistan Examiner. 

8. IN COMBINATION, A VALVE PROVIDED WITH A CONTINUOUSLY OPEN PRINCIPAL PASSAGEWAY AND AN AUXILIARY PASSAGEWAY SELECTIVELY OPENABLE AND CLOSEABLE UPON THE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID VALVE; MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPENING AND CLOSING SAID VALVE; AND SHUNTING MEANS AFFIXED TO SAID VALVE AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AUXILIARY PASSAGEWAY FOR PASSING THERETHROUGH FLUID FROM A SOURCE COUPLED TO SAID VALVE WHEN SAID VALVE IS OPENED A MINIMUM DEGREE. 